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Sociology Minor

College of Liberal Arts
Undergraduate minor

Why a minor in Sociology?

The Sociology minor is an ideal course of study for students interested in gaining a complex, analytical understanding of:

  • How society shapes our daily lives, sometimes in invisible and coercive ways.
  • How differences of abilities, culture, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation contribute significantly to the shaping of societies.
  • How to develop the skills and tools to discover, analyze, and change those obscure social processes that shape our lives.

The Sociology Minor includes both the academic study of society and is dedicated to promoting social justice and cultural respect.

What will I do in the minor?

Courses in the Sociology Minor fall into four areas of study:

  • Foundational concepts in Sociology, the study of what people do, think, and feel within formal and informal groups, organizations, institutions, and communities.
  • Sociological topics like social movements, the body, deviance, power, animals, food, and homelessness.
  • Social institutions like the family, religion, education, government, and business.
  • Social dimensions of the inequalities of gender, race, class, religion, culture, and sexual orientation.

Students in the Sociology Minor will take between 19 and 20 credits of Sociology courses.

What can I do with the minor?

A Sociology Minor is an excellent complement to a number of majors. These include:

  • Professional programs such as psychology, law enforcement, criminal justice, human services, social work, and international business
  • Liberal arts programs in history, gender studies, professional communication, ethnic studies, or philosophy.

More information on careers in sociology can be found on the American Sociology Association’s website.

Student outcomes

The learning outcomes for this major provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the 21st-century workplace to:

  • know and understand the essential concepts of social science;
  • comprehend the historical foundations, theoretical paradigms, and research methods of social science;
  • develop higher order thinking skills by analyzing and interpreting social science literature;
  • write analytically in a style that is informed, well-reasoned, and literate;
  • recognize and understand differences of gender and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, religion, and social class;
  • understand and utilize a global perspective
  • develop civic skills by participating in community-based learning and internships
  • become advocates and leaders in their communities, our nation, and the globe

Metro State connects you to your future. Receive information from Admissions about taking your first step toward a degree!

Already admitted? Find your advisor.

Current students: Declare this program

Once you’re admitted as an undergraduate student and have met any further admission requirements your chosen program may have, you may declare a major or declare an optional minor.

Future students: Apply now

Apply to Metropolitan State: Start the journey toward your Sociology Minor now. Learn about the steps to enroll or, if you have questions about what Metropolitan State can offer you, request information, visit campus or chat with an admissions counselor.

Get started on your Sociology Minor

Program eligibility requirements

Only non social-science majors may do this minor.

Course requirements

Summary (19-20 credits)

Lower Division Elective (3-4 credits)

Students hoping to transfer in lower division credits in Sociology should meet with an advisor as soon as they declare their minor to see if a course substitution is possible. In some cases, lower division electives may be transferred in and accepted as a substitute course for SOC 101.

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology

4 credits

This course is an introduction to the sociological perspective. Students examine the social processes that shape societies and the course of their histories. The social nature of biographies is explored through the study of the family and socialization, education and work, bureaucracy and the economy, gender, social class, and race and ethnicity.

Full course description for Introduction to Sociology

Survey Course (4 credits)

CHOOSE ONE:

SOC 301 Contemporary Sociology

4 credits

This course introduces and explores the sociological perspective. The central theme of the course is what C. Wright Mills called the sociological imagination which enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. Students explore how they are embedded in ever widening social circles that range from local to global. The focus is on how social forces such as culture, race and ethnicity, nationality, religion, social class, and gender contribute to the shaping of societies and the course of their histories. Students use conceptual tools drawn from sociology to analyze a range of contemporary social issues.

Full course description for Contemporary Sociology

SOC 302 Interpersonal and Social Power: A View from Below

4 credits

Power has traditionally been defined from the perspective of those who issue orders. This course examines power from the vantage point of those expected to follow orders. A model of empowerment is developed and applied to the interpersonal and social dynamics of domination and subordination with emphasis on gender, class, race and ethnicity. Novels, movies, autobiographies, simulation games and case studies are used to explore the power dimension in everyday life.

Full course description for Interpersonal and Social Power: A View from Below

SOC 321 Food, Culture, and Society

4 credits

This course introduces and explores the sociological perspective through the study of food. While eating is a biological necessity and often a social activity, the meanings of food are embedded in larger socio-cultural contexts. Food is connected to individual and cultural identities, structures of power and inequality, and activism and social justice. Students will examine the social forces and social relations surrounding food, and the links between food and bodies. Lecture, discussion, multimedia materials, and a variety of readings are used to study the complex connections between food, culture, and society.

Full course description for Food, Culture, and Society

Upper Division Electives (12 credits)

Students must take 3 upper division courses in sociology. Students may substitute SSCI 300, SSCI 311, SSCI 401, or SSCI 501 for one upper division sociology course.